傳法正宗記 2.78

2.78

富那夜奢尊者。花氏國人也。姓瞿曇氏。其父曰寶身。號為長者。初寶身有子七人。各有所尚。其一曰富那般多。好學仙術。次二曰富那金子。好常寂靜。次三曰富那月光。好角力相擊。次四曰富那勝童。好惠施念佛。次五曰富那波豆。好殺嗜酒。次六曰富那吉丹。耽於嗜欲。次七即富那夜奢。淡然無所好惡。其心不靜不亂。非凡非聖。嘗曰。若遇大士坐於道場。我則至彼親近隨喜。及脇尊者至其國方興佛事。而尊者遂詣其會。應對響捷。言皆造理。果於脇尊者得正法眼。遂以之遊化。道德所被不啻千萬之眾。然其得聖果者盈五百人。後至波羅柰國。遂有一長者來趨其會。尊者謂其眾曰。汝等識此來者耶。佛昔記云。吾滅後將六百年。當有聖者號馬鳴。出於波羅柰國。說法於花氏城。摧伏異道。度人無量。今其人也。然吾亦夜夢。大海遍溢乎一隅。方欲決之。其水遂沛然流潤諸界。今此來者。蓋其大海者也。將從吾出家以法濟人。其流潤者也。於是馬鳴致禮。前而問曰。我欲識佛。何者即是。尊者曰。汝欲識佛。不識者是。曰佛既不識焉知是乎。尊者曰。既不識佛。焉知不是。曰此是鋸義。尊者曰。彼是木義。却問。鋸義者何。馬鳴曰。與師平出。却問。木義者何。夜奢曰。汝被我解。馬鳴遂悟其勝義。忻然即求出家。夜奢乃為度之以受具戒。然其會中因之而證第四果者。凡二百人。其後命馬鳴曰。汝當轉法輪為十二世祖。昔如來大法眼藏。今以付汝。汝其傳之。聽吾偈曰。

The Venerable Puṇyayaśas was a native of the kingdom of Pāṭaliputra, surnamed Gautama. His father was named Ratnakāya, known as an elder. Formerly, Ratnakāya had seven sons, each with his own inclination. The first was named Puṇyaprabha, who liked studying immortal arts. The second was named Puṇyakanaka, who liked constant silence and tranquility. The third was named Puṇyacandra, who liked wrestling and fighting. The fourth was named Puṇyottama, who liked giving and recollecting the Buddha. The fifth was named Puṇyamāṣa, who liked killing and was addicted to wine. The sixth was named Puṇyadatta, who was indulgent in desires. The seventh was Puṇyayaśas, who was dispassionate and had neither likes nor dislikes; his mind was neither tranquil nor disordered, neither ordinary nor sacred. He once said: "If I encounter a great being seated in a bodhimanda, I will go there to draw near and rejoice in his presence." When the Venerable Pārśva arrived in his kingdom to promote Buddhist affairs, the Venerable One went to his gathering; his responses were swift as echoes, and his words all reached principle. He indeed attained the true Dharma-eye from the Venerable Pārśva, and thereupon traveled to transform beings, the reach of his virtue touching no fewer than tens of millions of people, while those who attained the holy fruitions exceeded five hundred. Later he arrived in the kingdom of Vārāṇasī, where an elder came hastening to his gathering. The Venerable One said to his assembly: "Do you know who this is that comes? The Buddha of old prophesied: 'About six hundred years after my demise, there will be a sage named Aśvaghoṣa who will arise in the kingdom of Vārāṇasī, preach the Dharma in the city of Pāṭaliputra, crush heterodox paths, and deliver countless beings.' This is that person today. Furthermore, I dreamed at night that the great ocean overflowed in one corner; just as I was about to breach it, its waters gushed forth and moistened all realms. This one who comes now is that great ocean; he will leave home under me to rescue people with the Dharma, which is the moistening waters." Thereupon Aśvaghoṣa paid reverence, stepped forward, and asked: "I wish to know the Buddha; what is he?" The Venerable One said: "You wish to know the Buddha; that which is not known is he." He said: "Since the Buddha is not known, how can one know he is?" The Venerable One said: "Since you do not know the Buddha, how do you know he is not?" He said: "This is the meaning of a saw." The Venerable One said: "That is the meaning of wood." He then asked: "What is the meaning of a saw?" Aśvaghoṣa said: "Going level with the master." He then asked: "What is the meaning of wood?" Yaśas said: "You are split by me." Aśvaghoṣa thereupon awakened to the superior meaning, and joyfully asked to leave home. Yaśas delivered him and gave him the full precepts. In the assembly, two hundred people realized the fourth fruition because of this. Later he instructed Aśvaghoṣa, saying: "You shall turn the wheel of the Dharma and become the twelfth-generation patriarch. The Tathāgata's great treasury of the Dharma-eye of old I now entrust to you. Transmit it. Listen to my verse:"